La Hacienda Mexican restaurant in Madison closed; 25 became sick after eating there

The environmental health director for Public Health Madison and Dane County tells the Wisconsin State Journal that about 25 people became sick after eating at La Hacienda. Doug Voegeli says the 23-year-old restaurant has been closed since Thursday night, May 9.

What led to the illness outbreak is still under investigation. The restaurant owner didn’t respond to the newspaper’s requests for comment.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases, also known as food poisoning. The CDC estimates that 48 million people get sick each year from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.